Renal deposition of soluble immune complexes in hamsters bearing an SV40-induced tumour.

Histologic and immunofluorescence studies of the kidneys of hamster bearing a tumour induced by injection of SV40-transformed cells show a proliferative glomerulonephritis associated with the presence of immune complex deposits along the glomerular basement membrane and in the mesangium. The intensity of the deposit is dependent of the size of the tumour. The presence of SV40-induced antigens was identified in the complexes by a heterologous immune serum. Immunoglobulins eluted from kidneys were shown to react with SV40 antigens by immunoprecipitation with TSV5CL2 cell extracts and by fluorescence on CV1 infected cells.